Department faculty have been hard at work publishing research this fall, including two new publications “Quality Improvement Tools in Total Joint Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review” and “Variability in the Processing of Fresh Osteochondral Allografts.”

“Quality Improvement Tools in Total Joint Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review”, published in the Journal of Surgical Orthopaedic Advances, systematically reviews quality improvement (QI) principles utilized in total joint arthroplasty (or joint replacement) to determine most successful QI tools. 

The QI tools examined were lean, clinical care pathways, plan-do-check-act, and shared decision-making. Ultimately, these tools did improve metrics like length of stay, cost, medication management, and patient education.

Authors concluded that further research is warranted to continue to build a framework for quality improvement in orthopaedic surgery.

Authors of the study, all current or former members of the UAB Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, include:

• Henry V. Bonner
• James R. Jones, M.D.
• Alexandra M. Arguello
• Jun Kit He, M.D.
• Brent A. Ponce, M.D.
• Amit M. Momaya, M.D.
• Elie S. Ghanem, M.D.
• Eugene W. Brabston, M.D.

Additionally, department members have published “Variability in the Processing of Fresh Osteochondral Allografts,” in the Journal of Knee Surgery. The team of researchers behind this article note that there is an increasing need for fresh osteochondral allografts, so many variations for processing and preserving have emerged.

An osteochondral allograft is a piece of tissue, containing bone and cartilage, taken from a deceased donor that is used to replace damaged cartilage in a patient.

Authors note that though there are variations in processing and preserving, the ultimate goal for health systems is to keep these grafts as viable as possible after they are removed from the deceased donor.

Researchers conclude that the most promising way to do so is through a protocol of delicate tissue handling, proper choice of storage medium, adding hormones and growth factors like insulin growth factor-1 to serum-free nutrient media, and storing these grafts closer to physiologic temperatures.

Authors of the study include:

• Kyle D. Paul
• Romil K. Patel
• Alexandra M. Arguello
• Adam Kwapisz, M.D., Ph.D.
• Eugene W. Brabston, M.D.
• James P. Stannard, M.D.
• Brent A. Ponce, M.D.
• Amit M. Momaya, M.D.